I found that the most interesting scene in the play was the "Leonato's Orchard". What interests me about this scene is the way Shakespeare shows a change in character of Benedick, thus also highlighting the importance of this scene for Benedick in the play.
The scene starts with Benedick entering Leonato’s Orchard enraged about the horrors of marriage, Benedick muses about how lovers make fools of themselves:
‘’I do much wonder that one man, seeing how much another man is a fool when he dedicates his behaviors to love,…,and such a man is Claudio.’’
Here Benedick used Claudio as an example of someone being foolish for falling in love. Benedick sees love as a sickness and if a man falls in love it takes away their masculinity.
Continuing his soliloquy, Benedick states that he would never fall in love with a woman:
“I will not be sworn, but love may transform me to an oyster; but I’ll take my oath on it, till he have made an oyster of me, he shall never make me such a fool.”
Benedick makes an oath that he would never fall in love and never transform into which he believes is the lowest form of life ‘’an oyster’’. Benedick also shows us that he is arrogant by telling us what his idea of a perfect woman would be:
‘’One woman is fair,…, wise,…, virtuous,…, but till all graces be in one woman, one woman shall not come in my grace. Rich she shall be,…, mild, or come not near me; noble, or not I for an angel; of good discourse, an excellent musician.’’
Benedick lists the ideal characteristics he desires in a woman. He self proclaims that no woman will ever possess all the qualities of his idea of a perfect woman in one package. And, until there is a woman who does he will remain a bachelor. Whilst his immodest behaviour grabs our interest there is one thing that Benedick does not compromise about:
‘’ and her hair shall be of what colour it please God.’’
Benedick not only shows us his arrogance towards women but also a weakness in this characteristic. He does this by not stating the colour prefence of his ideal womans hair, instead chosing to have an openmind on the subject.
Don Pedro, Claudio and Leonato enter the orchard thus forcing Benedick into hiding in the arbour as he wishes to be unseen. Aware of their eavesdropper they start to speak of Beatrice's passion for Benedick:
'' Come hither, Leonato. What was it you told me of to-day, that your niece Beatrice was in love with Signor Benedick?''
'' O God, counterfeit! There was never counterfeit of passion came so near the life of passion as she discovers it.''
The three have a mission to set a "lover's trap" for Benedick and he starts to fall for the things they rant about.
“Bait the hook well; this fish will bite.’’
Benedick - “Is’t possible? Sits the wind in that corner?”
They have Benedick where they want him to be, the plan goes well. Whilst he hides aside Benedick is shocked to learn of such news:
“This says she now when she is beginning to write to him; for she’ll be up twenty times a night, and there will she sit in her smock till she have writ a sheet of paper: my daughter tells us all’’
Leonato verifies the information that Beatrice loves Benedick by saying that his daughter ( Hero) tells him that this news is true. Once the three had done their damage to Benedick’s heart they leave the orchard. Benedick is left confused after being ‘’fooled’’ by the three:
“This can be no trick: the conference was sadly borne. They have the truth of this from Hero. They seem to pity the lady: it seems her affections have their full bent.”
Here Benedick believes that they must not be playing a trick and they are telling the truth, as it’s witnessed by Leonato and the men having their full attention in Beatrice. He starts to ponder about his feelings for Beatrice:
“Love me! Why, it must be requited. I hear I am censured: they say I will bear myself proudly, if I perceive the love come from her…”
Benedick decides to return his love for Beatrice and starts to criticize himself as the three men think that she is too good for him. Benedick begins to fall for Beatrice:
“I did never think to marry: I must not seem proud: happy are they that hear their detraction and can put them to mending.”
As he continues to talk to him self he recalls what Don Pedro, Claudio and Leonato say about Lady Beatrice:
“They say the lady is fair; ‘tis a truth, I can bear them witness; and virtuous; ‘tis so, I cannot reprove it; and wise, but for loving me; by my troth, it is no addition to her wit, nor no great argument of her folly…”
After all the confusion he completely believes that Beatrice does actually love him. He tells us that she possesses the qualities and characteristics his ideal woman would posses. The trickery by the men has lead to Benedick’s reconsideration of his love for a woman:
“When I said I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married. Here comes Beatrice. By this day! She’s a fair lady: I do spy some marks of love in her.”
Here Benedick shows us that his having second thoughts of love and sees himself getting married before he dies. The men send Beatrice to get Benedick for dinner. He is love-struck and analyzes every word that comes from her mouth and is already thinking like a lover. He believes that she loves him but Beatrice is still unharmed and dislikes him.
Throughout the scene Benedick has showed us an immense change of character. He has shown us that he was once an arrogant bachelor who disbelieved in love and then turned into a devoted lover.
The play is made more realistic via Shakespeare’s use of language which makes the reader feel closer to the characters, this is because they can watch them in their most content or unhappy moments. We feel sympathy or frustration towards characters because we feel helpless when we can see everything that is developing while they remain ignorant. Another wonderful technique used by Shakespeare is the development of complex characters, making them more true and realistic to life as they keep changing throughout the play.
